Iran has confirmed it will not participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, citing the ongoing conflict involving host nation, the United States.
The announcement was made by Iran’s Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamal, who stated that the current geopolitical tensions make it impossible for the country to take part in the global tournament.
Iran’s participation had already been in doubt following the escalation of military tensions last month when the United States and Israel reportedly launched coordinated strikes on Iran.
The attacks are said to have resulted in the death of the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and prompted retaliatory actions from Tehran against US-allied states in the Gulf, further deepening the crisis.
Before the official announcement, the president of the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran, Mehdi Taj, had indicated that Iran’s involvement in the tournament was increasingly unlikely due to the deteriorating political situation.
Confirming the decision during a televised interview reported by RTÉ, Sports Minister Donyamal said the country could not participate under the current circumstances.
He stated that following the assassination of the country’s leader and the conflicts that followed, which he said had claimed thousands of lives, Iran no longer saw any possibility of competing in the tournament.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
Iran had been drawn in Group G alongside New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt, with matches set to be played in Los Angeles and Seattle.
Earlier, FIFA president Gianni Infantino had revealed that he received assurances from US President Donald Trump that Iran would be welcomed to compete in the tournament despite the political tensions.
Infantino said the discussions came during a recent meeting with the US president, with FIFA maintaining that the World Cup should serve as a platform to unite people around the world.
Iran had secured qualification after finishing top of Group A in the Asian qualifiers, marking what would have been their fourth consecutive World Cup appearance.
The team had planned to hold its training camp at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, but those arrangements have now been cancelled following the government’s decision to withdraw from the competition.
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Story by Samuel Annang | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Erica Odeenyin Odoom
